This invention relates generally to a tape printing apparatus and, in particular, to a tape printer which employs a ribbon to print on a tape contained within a tape cassette. Tape conveying and printing mechanisms in the printer are moved automatically when the cover of the printer is opened to facilitate easy replacement of the tape and ribbon.
Tape printers which print letters on a strip of tape and which have replaceable tape and ribbon cassettes are known in the prior art. The prior art devices, however, have not allowed for easy removal of the tape and ribbon cassettes.
In one such device, the ribbon and tape cassettes are removed by first opening the cover of the printer. A separate lever must be activated to displace the driving mechanism and printer head to a position where the ribbon cassette can be removed. When the tape and ribbon cassettes are to be replaced, the lever is activated manually to displace the driving mechanism and printing head to the operative position whereby printing can occur and the cassettes can not be removed.
Another such device, allows removal of the tape cassette in a similar fashion but only after removal of the ribbon cassette.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,832,514 and 4,836,697 disclose a tape printer in which the tape and ribbon are provided in a tape cassette. The tape cassette is moved into operative position in the housing when the cover is closed. Such a system has proven less than completely satisfactory.
The removal and reloading procedure is both complicated and time consuming, mainly due to the fact that the cassettes are attached to the printing apparatus and can only be removed upon activation of a separate lever. Also, the tape cassette cannot be replaced without replacing the ribbon cassette.
Another drawback is that the prior art printers do not accept tapes with varying widths.
Accordingly, it is desired to provide a tape printer which overcomes the shortcomings of the prior art devices as described above, allows easy loading of the tape and ribbon cassettes into the tape printer and allows the loading of tape cassettes with tape of varying width.